$4BILLION NHL Buy-Out

[UGS]

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story.asp?id=125690

Firm offers new $4 billion bid for NHL


TSN.ca Staff with Bloomberg files



5/22/2005 10:31:47 AM

Bloomberg Business News reports that Bain Capital LLC, one of America's most reputable companies and buyout firms, has increased its bid for the National Hockey League by at least $500 million to more than $4 billion.

Sources familiar with the proposal told Bloomberg that Bain and Game Plan LLC, a firm that arranges the sale of professional sports teams, made the new offer on Friday.

"We haven't given up, that's for sure," Game Plan chairman Bob Caporale told Bloomberg. Caporale declined to confirm that a revised offer was submitted to the league.

NHL spokesman Frank Brown told Bloomberg, "I will not confirm any aspect of what you're reporting."

The firm pitched NHL owners a proposal to buy the entire league for more than $3 billion US at a league board of governors' meeting in March. But top officials with several clubs characterized Bain's presentation as merely an interesting information session that barely lasted half an hour and won't be given much thought in the future.

The proposal would see all 30 teams run out of a central office, setting team payroll budgets before the season started and distributing revenues to each club.

[UGS]

Wasn't that basically the same business plan the XFL had? With all teams run by the same office and revenue sharing?

[monkeythe]

At least the XFL had a national TV deal. For all the jokes made about the XFL, their ratings were about the same as the Stanley Cup finals on network TV.

[Va Beach VH Fan]

The owners are just laughing at this guy, but what the fuck, I'd love to see it, especially from a small-market standpoint....

[vanzilla]

I think the small market guys would take the money and run. Are you telling me the owner of the Pens and 'Canes are not looking to get the hell out of dodge? Who can blame them really?

[Va Beach VH Fan]

No, I don't think so...

You get a decent CBA, and the majority of NHL teams can compete nearly every year....

[PhilFlappoRogan]

Its the best deal the NHL owners will ever get. The majority of sports fans in the US dont care about hockey. This lockout is the worst thing that could have happend to something few people care about in the first place. And I'm not talking about the hardcore hockey fans, they are pissed and have every right to be. The NHL has been miss-managed for years. Its the smallest market of the 'major' sports. The NHL is never going to recover from this abortion. This deal is probably the best thing for the league, the owners and the fans. A single big ass corporation will be able to negotiate better TV/radio deals,sort out the financial mess with the majority of the NHL teams, and maybe with a lot of hard PR work save the league.

Remember it took years for MLB to recover and the NBA has never recovered ( I still havent gone back to watching the NBA ). The NBA would be wise to watch what and how all of this goes down with the NHL as they are headed into another fucking ridiculous labor dispute.

[UGS]

I'm worried for the league. The game has been boring as shit for the last few years, only six teams turn a profit, the southern US teams will likely die after this is settled, they just alienated all the fans. . . To sum it up, a recovery would be a miracle

[superdave]

hockey needs to pare down to 12-16 teams and needs a salary cap badly

[UGS]

12-16 teams would be amazing. You're effectively sending the bottom half of all players in the league back to the minors/europe, leaving the only the best. The quality of play would be great. The NHLPA would never go for it

[superdave]

they may not have much choice--the talent pool is so watered down--look at how scoring has dropped off--they need to listen to Gretzky

[UGS]

What exactly did Gretzky say?

[vanzilla]

UGS - Are you a fan of Terry Crisp?

[DrMaddVibe]

I offered 3.9 b and got shot down.

I only wanted the trophy though!